A US Central Command spokesman said they had targeted missile launch sites and Iranian boats seeking to lay mines in the Strait of Hormuz.Two Iranian boats were apparently caught laying mines in the Strait, Senior US officials told a reporter at Fox news.

US forces eliminated both vessels and also struck a surface-to-air missile site in Bandar Abbas that was reportedly targeting US warplanes.“These were defensive strikes,” a US official said, adding that the strikes do not indicate the fragile ceasefire, negotiated last month, was over.A Centcom spokesman said in a statement the strikes ‌were designed “to protect our troops from threats posed ‌by Iranian forces”.“US Central ⁠Command continues to ⁠defend our forces while using restraint during the ongoing ‌ceasefire,” he said.